Christian backer defends right to sponsor schools

The Christian funder of three city academies in London today defended the involvement of private sponsors in state education.

The Oasis Trust, founded by Baptist minister Steve Chalke, runs one academy in Enfield and plans to open a second in Croydon in September and another in Enfield a year later.

Critics of academies, particularly the teaching unions, fear they represent a major step towards the privatisation of state education. But Mr Chalke said the willingness of individuals such as Lord Harris of Peckham, who sponsors the largest number of academies in London, to invest in state education was worthy of celebrationnot denigration. "I think people-like that should be thanked and applauded rather than judged," he said.

Mr Chalke said that although his trust had a "Christian ethos" the schools would be non-denominational and open to children of all faiths as well as those from families of nonbelievers. "I wouldn't select on the basis of faith or ability," he said. "We are not going to select kids because their parents happen to go to church. Our schools are community schools - they serve the whole community."

His comments came after Sir Peter Vardy, a Christian who sponsors a string of academies in the North-East, was accused of encouraging science teachers to teach "creationism" - that the story of how God created the world is literally true.

Mr Chalke said: "We don't teach that and we wouldn't teach that. I believe it is based on a misunderstanding of Genesis. We won't teach sixth-day creationism."

The Oasis academy in Croydon replaces Coulsdon High School, which recently improved enough to be taken out of "special measures" - the term education watchdog Ofsted uses for schools that are failing so badly they may need to be closed. It will be called the Oasis Academy Croydon.

The Oasis Academy Enfield opened last year as a new school, which means it has the advantage of being able to build up its pupil intake a year at a time and it is easier for the school's backers to establish its ethos. Mr Chalke said no name had yet been chosen for the charity's second Enfield academy. Eventually, Oasis plans to open nine academies in England.